Nicholas a



(No Model.)

N. A. VEDDER.

THILL SUPPORT.

No, 317,597. Patented May 12, 1885.

WITNESSES.- INVENTEIR.

bu Mam I zwwmw %u A H'ovneg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

NICHOLAS A. VEDDER, OE PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

THlLL-SUPPORT.

EBPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,597, dated May 12, 1885.

- Application filed March 21, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS A. VEDDER, of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thill-Supports; and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a description thereof.

This invention relates to means for supporting the thills of a carriage in a raised position when the carriage is not in use; and it consists in certain features of construction and combination hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective a portion of a carriage provided with my improved thill-support, the thills being held thereby in an elevated position. Fig. 2 shows the supportin perspective and on a larger scale. Fig. 3 represents a side view and partial section of the main portion of the support. Fig. 4 shows a vertical section on line x 00 of Fig. 3.

The device is intended to remain on the carriage at all times, and is constructed substantially as follows:

A bracket, A, having two outwardly-proj ecting arms, a a, is attached by bolts or 0th erwise to the aXle-barB of the carriage. The arms a a form an annulus or ring, 0, in which a ratchet-wheel, D, Fig. 3, is located between two side plates, E E, fitting into the annulus G, as shown in Fig. 4. The outer faces of the plates E E, are respectively furnished with grooves e e, which grooves are occupied by the arms a a of the bracket A. A bolt, F, passes through the arms a a, plates E and ratchet-wheei D, and a nut, f, screwed upon the bolt brings the plates E E and wheel D into as close contact as is desirable, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

The annulus C is provided with a pocket, 0, and located therein is a pawl, G, which is pressed into engagement with the wheel D by a spring, 9, although such engagement may be effected by gravity. Pivoted to the annulus G is a socket-piece, H, into which one end of a rod, J, is screwed. The opposite end of the rod is screwed into a socket-piece, K, which is pivoted to an cared plate, L, attached to the cross or whiffletree bar M of the thills. The rod J and socket-pieces H K constitute an adjustable connection between the annulus O and be secured by using a rod, J with a centrallylocated turn-buckle, and pivoting the ends of the rod directly to the annulus O and plateL; and although it is desirable that this member of the device should be adjustable in order that the device may be readily applied to various styles of carriages, yet for any definite carriage the adjustable feature may be dispensed with, and the rod J be pivoted at its ends directly to the annulus C and plate L, as will be readily understood, the rod being of proper length.

The operation of the device is as follows: \Vhen the thills are lifted, the annulus 0 turns easily upon the plates E E in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, the pawl G passing freely over one or more teeth of the ratchet-wheel D, which remains stationary. 'When the thills have been sufficiently elevated, and are released, their weight will be supported by the wheel D, which will not turn on its axis under said weight, owing to the friction between the wheel and the plates E E, which friction can be adjusted and regulated to the proper requirements by the bolt and nut Ff.

To lower the thills, sufficient force must be employed to overcome the friction between the ratchet D and plates E E, which can be ac complished by hand-pressure upon the thills, the ratchet-wheel D turning between the plates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3.

In place of bringing the sides of the wheel D and the inner faces of the plates E E into frictional contact, thin disks N N, of metal or other material, are preferably interposed, as shown in Fig. 4, to prevent wearing the faces of the wheel and plates, the said disks being easily renewable when worn.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the device remains upon the carriage at all times, and is always in readiness to perform its office, the thills being retained in any position to which they may be raised. If desired, the friction between the wheel D and plates E E may be made sufficient to support the thills bar M, although this adjustable feature may p in a horizontal position, so as to prevent them from falling when the horse is unhitched from the carriage.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the bracket A, annu lus O, ratchet and pawl D G, and plates E E,

the ratchet and plates being clamped to each other, as described, and the pivoted rod J, the whole being adapted to be applied to a carriage as a thill-support, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a carriage, of a th ill-support attached to the axle and Whiffletree bars, and consisting of an annulus, 0, adapted to turn freely in one direction, a ratchet and pawl, D G, the friction-plates E E, clamped to the ratchet, the attachingbracket A, and the pivoted rod J, substantially as set forth,

3. The combination of the bracket A, annulus O, ratchet and pawl D G, plates E E, clamp bolt and nutFf, the disks N N, and the adjustable rod J, substantially as set forth. N IOHOLAS A. VEDDER. Witnesses:

EDsoN SALISBURY J ONES, GEO. M. CADY. 

